Four Leaf Clover
by kamachi
Summary: She had nothing but a wish of reunion with someone she had loved, when a mere slave found herself uncovering the mystery behind the deaths of the King's women... by being the bait. Is it a curse? Or a conspiracy?
1. Prologue

**A/N:** It's not about the number of published stories that counts,… what matters is the contents. And I praise great writers who can do both. Anyway, this one is borne out of my interest on Persian Literature. I'm open for criticisms but NO flamers.

**WARNINGS:** might be too much for a first installment, but this chap has angst and rape. And for ratings' sake! this is M for a reason.

**DISCLAIMER:** Standard Disclaimer Applies

**SUMMARY:** She had nothing but a wish of reunion with someone she had loved, when a mere slave found herself uncovering the mystery behind the deaths of the King's women... by being the bait. Is it a curse? Or a conspiracy?

"**oro" denotes speech**

'_**oro' **_**denotes thoughts**

_**oro either used for flashbacks or emphasis on words**_

**Four Leaf Clover **

**Prologue:** Amity

Beads of sweat trickled over her forehead, only to stop as it came to the crude band tied around her head. She swallowed the remaining wetness inside her mouth to sate the dryness of her throat, though the inner caverns of her mouth doesn't see fit to withdraw any moisture from her salivary glands anymore, Since yesterday was the last time she had water, and that had only allowed her to endure the long day without a single drop.

The jug between her hands seemed to tremble between her grasp as she felt the emptiness, not only of the hollow water container but of her own being. She wanted to scour the insides of the ceramic jug but faltered, because she had done it several times that day to no avail. It was just as dry as the desert they have been journeying on for the past few weeks.

The slave caravan has been travelling for three straight weeks through the desert and they couldn't even remember how many suns and moons had come up since they left the tropics. The last time they came to a stop at an oasis, the slaves were given the chance to fill their jugs with water for the long travel, but unfortunately, their supplies had already run out. And the fact that they have been cut short of their refreshments didn't help either.

During their weeks on the tropics, the slave traders have generously given the slaves food twice a day, but due to the shortage of supplies in the desert, they have cut the slave's meal short, giving them a meager amount of food only ONCE a day.

She reluctantly stood up and mustered all the confidence a seven year-old girl could have. From that dark corner of the crowded cabin, her eyes searched for anyone, someone she could ask even a drop of drink from.

Slaves occupied every inch of the room, men and women of many ages. So far, she hasn't seen anyone much younger than her, but that doesn't make her any different from them. The scrawny little girl wished with all her heart that someone from the crowd of those strangers would allow her even a drop, so that her young body could be able to last a little longer without any refreshments.

Her eyes scanned the four corners of the room. Eyeing an old man, she remembered how badly he was beaten earlier when he complained about the paltry food. She winced at the thought. Then her roaming eyes dropped to the brute-looking man who sat facedown holding a jug full, but she dropped the hint, because she knew what it contained –_ sake_. She's not that desperate to slake her thirst with alcohol, considering that she is just a child.

Finally, her gaze stopped over a huddle of grown women who sat at the farther edge of the room. Relieved, she gathered her jug tighter to her chest and started tottered to their direction. When one of the women looked at her and flashed a gentle smile, her waning spirit came to life. But as the woman's gaze fell on the obviously empty jug between her hands; her expression softened and shook her head. She immediately understood. They too, had nothing left.

Just before she started back to her corner in defeat, someone stepped behind her. At first she was startled. Warily turning to look at the person, her sight first registered a hand holding out a jug to her, the ceramic blocking her vision of the person's face. When she tilted her head sideways to see the owner of those generous hands, she was washed with sudden awe upon seeing amethyst eyes smiling down at her like the violets in the fields she cherished back in their small village.

For the first time since she came to the caravan, she smiled. She humbly accepted the container from the stranger and muttered her sincere gratitude.

'_His face seemed familiar'_ she thought as she took her first gulp. _'Oh! That was it!'_. She first saw him the day she was dragged into this expedition. There were chances her sight caught the red head moving from the crowd in the cabin. And the boy looked somewhat older than her.

'_He must be an orphan like me, what else would he be?'_ She thought sadly, feeling sorry for both of them.

As she drank the water, which was quite tepid from the humidity of the desert, she reflected back to the day she was led to this miserable fate.

They were just a small family. Her father, a kenjutsu master, who sustained their needs by teaching sword lessons at their dojo and her mother, a faithful housewife who tried her best to keep the ends meet. Kaoru, their only daughter was the heir to her father's dojo and principles.

A perfect image of a family… but behind the mask veils a dark secret.

When her mother gave birth to her, the infant was believed to be plagued by a curse. A curse embedded to her young back as a mark of a dragon. Some says that it might bring famine to the village someday once she comes of age, as told by some dragons' tale which is known for their stories of destruction. But the family tried to attest themselves to some accusing villagers who hatefully despised them dwelling in the village.

As Kaoru grow up, his father's dojo started to lose its students one by one. Hardly leaving any means for him to provide for his family's needs. One day, he was hired to work as a bodyguard for a lord, and was guaranteed to be given more than enough to provide for his family. It looked so easy, but one night came when he was asked to kill for the lord, he declined, for it is against his principles. That same night he flew after knowing about the lord's corrupt motives. Knowing that the lord would not allow him to just get away with all the knowledge about his dark schemes, he went back to their home immediately to depart the village with his family for good.

It was too late though, Just as they were about to reach the farther outskirts of the village, they halted when they saw a group of thugs approaching, must be some of the lord's men.

His father kneeled in front of Kaoru who is frantically shaking with fear as she clasped with her mother's hand.

"Be strong kaoru, you have to live on, for the Kasshin ryuu,…. for me.." he held her face and kissed her forehead. "Even though others might treat you bad,.. help them…" he took her small hands in his. ".. as long as your hands could reach them." With that he stood and faced his faithful wife.

"Whatever happens ,…" he cupped her cheek and looked at her with his steady cobalt stare. "…remember that I love both of you,.. " his hand withdrew but before it fell to his side, she captured his hand with her right one.

"Take care,… anata" a tear fell as she whispered loud enough only for him to hear. He nodded and locked her in a tight embrace.

Koshijiro told his wife to move ahead of him and escape with their Kaoru as he distract the thugs. Kaoru cried out to her father, as his figure drawing a bokken faded with the fog. Her young limbs will surely tire out soon. On the other hand, , Kaoru's mother kept their pace even in her exhaustion. Running unstoppably towards the boundaries to the next village, adrenaline serving as her only remaining strength.

Minutes of running had passed, when Kaoru felt a painful twinge in her heart. As though something, or perhaps, someone had tugged at her heartstrings. The pain made tears sprang involuntarily to her eyes. She pulled at her mother's hand only to find her also in tears.

Her mother felt it, too.

There's no way she would fail him now, his death would not be futile. She has to escape and lead their child to safety. Inevitably, Kaoru tripped over. She winced in pain as her ankles throbbed with stinging pain. Her mother never wasted a second and lifted her, the job slowing them down. But better to go slower than to stop.

But even she has her own limitations. When her knees screamed out for rest, she decided to hide them behind a bush and continue by the time she regained enough strength. She examined Kaoru's ankles and found a bruise welt. To avoid the wound from getting infection, she tore a strip of cloth from the hem of her kimono and dabbed it to the swollen abrasion. Unbeknownst to them, footsteps approached nearing their direction. Just as she was wrapping the ankle, Kaoru whimpered out of pain.

The thugs heard the small noise and began to search for the source when they fell upon a large rustling population of bushes. Her mother felt their presence and clamped her child's mouth shut. But it didn't help. The men found them and harshly dragged them out of the bushes. How had they managed to catch up with them that quickly at such a distance?

Her mother pleaded to spare the child's life but they seem to be deaf. Instead, they laughed at her and looked at her maliciously. They separated them, one man dragging Kaoru away and four cornered her mother. A seven year-old's innocent mind not having any hint of WHAT was to happen, she helplessly watched as her mother was stripped off of her kimono with the men's filthy hands and beaten up badly as they took turns on her, ignoring her pleas and cries of pain. Her eyes went wide as she watched them spat at her mother which is now covered in dark bruises and blood. An unknown rage built within her, she struggled against the man's hold and tumbled down. Ignoring the pain in her ankle and her fall,. She dashed toward her mother.

Too late, before she got to her, one of the thug's blade slit her mother's throat, shutting the last of rational thoughts in her mind.

"Okaa-saaaaaaann!" her voice shrieked as blood flowed from her neck.

She fell beside her mother's still form and clung to her disheveled form. Her mother's eyes lost its sparkle as she looked back at her. She looked at her daughter, channeling her remaining strength through their gaze.

"Go,…..Pl-Please…Ka..o..ru" she said, her arms failed to reach to stroke her child's face as she fought unconsciousness.

Even at her final breath she managed to mumble her final words to her. "L-live,..for us.."

"Okaa-san,..Okaa-san…." Kaoru shook her mother's shoulders, earning no response at her constant plea.

"So,…what's it now little kitten?" one of the men mocked with a piercing laugh.

Tears flew continuously on her cheeks. She might have not understood everything in her young age. But one thing she knew for sure, her mother is DEAD.

With one final caress on her mother's cheek, Kaoru prepared for an unpredicted move. All her life, her parents are the only ones she had listened to. No use giving up now, now that she has nothing left.

She held all the strength left in her and made a wild dash away from the thugs. Unbelievably, she took the men off guard. She increased her speed, ignoring the pain in her ankles. Her small stature weren't even used to such fast speed or distance, but right now she desperately wanted both to get away from the figures that had been coming closer. Closing the space between them with trained strides, one of them grabbed her behind her neck.

"And where do you think you're going brat?" She almost choked at the pain in her pressure points but it was nothing like the fear she felt right now.

Would they do the same thing to her? For Kami's sake! She's just a child!

"What are we going to do with that one, boys?" one of them inquired. "Do you think she's as good as her mother?" they laughed loud, their menacing laughter echoed in her mind which promised to leave a lingering memory that would forever haunt her.

"Nah,.. we'd have enough session for now, though that bitch is quite feisty" one of them remarked. "…say,…" he paused "why not sell her to the slave traders?"

The others agreed " hmmm..even a price of dirt is better than none at all.."

She should have let out an air of relief. After all, she had been spared from the same fate as her mother's. _But a life as a slave?_

Her head turned to look back at the morbid figure of her mother. She caught something move from the corner of her eyes. She shook her head. it must have been her exhaustion. But she could have sworn she really saw something –a faint silhouette of a crouched man bending over her mother's lifeless body.

Thus, she ended up here in the slave caravan.

'_Okaa-san must be with Otou-san right now…I wish I could join them sooner.' _She thought, gulping the last mouthful of water.

'_Last? Oh my!' _her brain reminded her as she consumed the last of the boy's drink. She had been too occupied with her thoughts that she failed to notice the boy's worried look at his jug. She was ashamed of herself for taking too much than what she had asked for and what she was offered. Blushing furiously and waiting for her deserved harsh words, she looked down at her dirty toes, her bangs covering her face, but nothing came.

OoOoO

The generous boy watched as a blush started to tint her face. He could see it clearly even behind the curtain of her hair. He just looked at her with eyes full of compassion for the younger girl. Seeing her much closer betrayed his first impression about her. There were times he caught glimpse of her. But even before her eyes met his, she had already turned her head away.

He felt so much concern for her when he remembered seeing her earlier wandering around the small cabin with what he supposed to be an empty jug. She surprised him by being able to last to a slave's endurance. He silently admired her courage, which he first witnessed on the day she was first brought to the caravan.

"Let me go!" a voice broke the usual silence of the huddle inside the cabin one early morning in the slave caravan. Shinta squinted his eyes to adjust to the light peeping through the narrow slit of the opening door. One by one, the slaves got up as the noise drew closer, aware from the routine that someone new was brought to join their dreadful fate.

They're not expecting this one though, for the new member of the pack was no more than a child, a girl not much older than eight.

Shinta shot up from his lying position to have a look at the new person aboard. He expected her to cry when she saw the look on their faces, her eyes did widen but showed no fear. Even when those who brought her there told her that there would be no one for her now she had not faltered. They're quite mistaken on that part though…

Like everyone on board, she had nothing with her but her tattered clothes which had mud and what he could make out as.._blood stains..?_ A strange feeling evoked from him. What could have happened to her to have led her here? And at such a young age? But his worry faded when she walked inside chin high, and sat by the empty corner of the room, opposite from him.

There's something special about this kid that he could hardly point out. Is it the truth that instead of seeing tears clouding her eyes, what he saw was fiery courage reflected amidst her regal innocence?

Then he realized what kept him gaping at her. His deepest thirst could be easily quenched by looking at her eyes which are as deep as the blue ocean. The girl was pretty, and he admitted to himself that he would have been infatuated with her if they ever met at a different circumstance…but in fact, he is now. Wait a minute! Infatuated? With a girl five years younger than him? He shoved the foolish thought aside. Not a chance, he thought. Especially with someone as ill-fated as him..

So far, they two are the youngest in the caravan. So when he saw her wandering, asking for water, he made his move, knowing that this is the best opportunity to get to know her.

He started to worry when she didn't respond after drinking from the jug. She just stood there, motionless. As if waiting for some kind of punishment. A realization registered to him; she must be embarrassed for draining his last drink.

In assurance, he patted her shoulders as a gesture for her to look up. She did but avoided his eyes. He just shrugged and smiled.

"It's okay,..I've drank enough today" he assured her. The girl finally managed to look at him directly in the eye.

"B-but… you will get thirsty soon,…" she muttered. She twitched her toes out of embarrassment.

"I could endure it,.." he confirmed. "Besides, I heard that we should be out of this dessert by afternoon tomorrow…I'll endure it till then, so stop worrying" he paused "In fact, you should be worrying about yourself,..Can you hold it until tomorrow? I have no water left for any of us"

"No! I mean,..Yes! Of course!, I c-can endure until tomorrow! But no! Don't w-worry about me,… you have given me enough to last until t-tomorrow…" she stuttered. "Go-Gomenasai!…I promise to pay you back!" she beat her head low to a bow that she almost knocked her head on the jug.

The boy looked at him with his signature grin "Don't be,.. I really wanted you to have it, I really don't mind".

Feeling more comfortable about this friendly boy, the light returned to her eyes "A-arigato,…um…"

"Shinta." He held his hand to her "You may call me Shinta."

The girl took his hand cheerfully and beamed her biggest smile for the first time since her stay. "My name's Kaoru... Nice to meet you Shinta_-onii san*_"

"Uh.. just Shinta please,.. " he scratched the back of his head, The picture of having her see him as an older brother unnerving him.

The two of them stood there for quite a long time. It's just then when Kaoru broke the silence.

"Okay..so,… how did you get here?...are you an orphan too?" her innocent question seem to steered at his emotion "Just as I expected, she's kinless like me"he thought.

"Hai,.." he nodded and motioned for her to move from their place to sit by one of the empty corner of the cabin where they could have their little chit-chat more privately. Kaoru scooted close to him, confident now that she had a new friend whom she would be comfortable with. Shinta didn't mind the closeness, not even when he felt her eyes on him.

"How about you?... how did you get in here at the first place… if you don't mind me asking" he leveled his stare to her but she averted her eyes from him, just as she did earlier.

She really doesn't want to avoid this, but this is unexpected. No one had asked her how she got here at the beginning… and remembering that terrible night made her want to throw up. Could she really trust him enough to let him know about her own demise? The memory is still clear, etched in her mind like a new ink painting. She wringed the hem of her clothes which were none too decent and caught remnants of blood from that night. She hugged her knees to herself, forgetting she still has to answer the hanging question.

The stabbing pain, her mother's tears..

"_Be strong kaoru, you have to live on, for the Kasshin ryuu,…. for me.."_

The blood, her mother's screams. The haunting laughter….

"_Live,..for us.."_

He felt her withdrawal. Suddenly, he felt guilty for bringing up the topic. Who is he anyway for prying into her life of solitude? Before words of apology rolled off his tongue, she brought her head up with her face as stern as an old worn man. Looking at the vast space as if seeing something he cannot.

"Shinta,… Is it bad to be helpless?" she asked without looking at him.

He was stunned when she immediately changed the atmosphere. Where is the cheerful girl he just made friends with? Is this the true face beneath her mask?

He tried his best to carry on the conversation. Maybe this way, she would be able to open up to him….she needed it.

"No.." he heaved a sigh. Not knowing what to say next. She was just as gullible as he thought she should be.

"I was not able to protect them,…to save them.." her voice broke but surprisingly, when he looked at her there were no tears.

He understood what she meant. _'Yes,..I was not able to protect them, too_..' he spoke at the back of his mind. His hand came up behind her to stroke her back like a brother would. "Whatever that had happened, I'm sure It's not your fault… you're just too young….." he soothed her "..and I suppose they loved you and are happy enough to know you are safe and alive…"

"My father was not a bad person…." She began. Words of praise for her parents tumbled from her mouth, matching the sound of the childish monologue in her voice. She told him about her small village and the chase that night. She even told him about her so-called "curse" and every time she spoke degrading herself, he would shake his head. "You're not cursed Kaoru,…" he said thoughtfully, '_not even the slightest fiber of it' _he wanted to say.

They sounded like adults now. The heaviness of the topic both sent them to a pit of dreadful memories they wanted to forget. But who would understand them anyway? They share the same cruel fate. They both suffered loss. Nothing left but themselves to lick each other's wounds.

As they made a detour at the memory lane, they were unaware of a little bud that had started to blossom within the deepest recesses of their hearts.

*o-nii san _(big brother)_

At last! I would be able to shove the messy rough draft of this story out of my table! I really wanted to merge the first and second chapter on this prologue but I thought that it might be too long for a prologue. I hope you enjoyed the family scene as much as I enjoyed writing it! And being the canon obsessor I am, I left the mother's name unknown (just as the original manga would). And before I forget, thanks to those who voted for BxK pairing for this fic.

**WANTED: **Beta reader …Well…that is, if I should continue or not. Review in exchange for a chapter. This time I won't beg. Take it. Or leave it. T-L


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Sorry for the very slow update and slow movement of this story BUT expect slower movement of the story up to chap 2. There are some things to be emphasized and details to be made consistent so readers won't be confused for the following chapters. Because compared to FFWI, I'm much dedicated to this one since this is my brainchild.

**DISCLAIMER:** Standard Disclaimer Applies

* * *

><p><strong>Four Leaf Clover<strong>

**Chapter****One:** Nocturnal

The days of monotonous hums from the wheels and the intermittent clunk of the horses' feet became almost tolerable for Kaoru. But with no watch and no sun, she couldn't tell how long they have been trekking the desert. All that she knew was that she sat there huddled in a dusty corner of a cabin, a small figure in ratty-grimy rags. People hadn't paid too much attention to her, nor was she trying to get any. In fact, it's a good thing because as much as possible she didn't want to be a pain in the neck to their already unfortunate lives.

All except for one: that boy Shinta had been very kind to her, considering that he was the only one closest to her age. He looked over her, shared what he had and tolerated her childishness. Perhaps he was her only saving grace in her cursed existence. And no, she's not even going to start with that; not when things just seemed getting better with him.

But if it weren't for the constant rumbling of her stomach, she would feel very fine now. She stood up and shook the dust off her bottom and cast a lingering look at the room. Surely, it wasn't only her; the other slaves also expected that they would be out of the desert sooner, the least they could do is peek at small holes only to see the endless stretch of sand.

In this barren land, they are depraved of food and drink, and they have to endure too much heat in the day and freezing cold at night. Days of fasting have trained all of them, including her young body to ignore its primary need. She hadn't been this hungry before, but right now the thought that she had been here long enough to get this starved was awful in its own way.

How many awful things waiting, she didn't know, and was glad she didn't. She just wished it wouldn't happen too soon.

Just then, they came to a stop. A part of her was glad knowing they will be given food and drink just like the last time they did. And to prove her right, as expected, Shinta rose from his place to worm in through the gathering crowd of slaves. He didn't miss the dark head of the little girl and waved his arms to her, gesturing for her to come. Her eyes first showed hesitation but when she reached out her timid arms, he easily pulled her through the muddle of body mass. Small as she is, she managed to get to his side

"If you stayed there, you won't get any" he said with a smile, and it never failed to charm her.

As the door opened, her eyes had a hard time adjusting to the light. The sight of the sky during noontime was the one she missed the most from being locked inside for so long. But what really made her giddier now were the patches of green she could clearly see at the horizon.

"Shinta!" pulling at the hem of his tunic and keeping herself from getting too excited, she finally got him to look. She was even happier as she watched his face brighten more with delight. Others saw it too and heaved sighs of relief, some just didn't care and ignored it and continued to push against each other.

A gruff man, definitely one of the men in charge of the slaves, came inside with a bag of a sort of nondescript wool; everyone knew what the content might be. Kaoru continued to observe the man; he looked like the cold blooded men who murdered her family. And she could not help but notice the unmistakable tattoo he had on his body which made him even more forbidding. From what she could make out, the tattoo looked like some sort of bird- It could possibly be an emblem of something.

When the man seemed to have felt her eyes on him, he turned to glare at her but she had quickly turned away.

The man hasn't even opened up the bag when a slave –a skinny old man – limped forward and latched on to his hakama, begging for food in a frantic manner. They couldn't blame him for his actions; maybe he had been starving longer than anyone else. But his action seemed to have aggravated the gruff man, and for a moment, they all thought that he would just hit the man with his muscled arms as they usually did to slaves.

He harshly pulled the slave from at his side and reached behind him to pull a metal rod and started to beat the slave. At this scene, everybody was taken aback, temporarily forgetting their hunger. The punishment ended and the skinny old man remained on the floor, writhing in pain, crying out for help.

But before anybody could even react, the man shot them a gruff look and finally spoke.

"You stupid dogs should know better, next time anybody who dared to attack would end up like him,… and worse." And with that he grinned, a sly grin that proved Kaoru's impression of him true.

Shinta was enraged. It was clear the man wasn't attacking him. Who would dare to do so anyway, when they are already drained of hunger? Others chose to be passive because they knew of the punishment that awaits them.

Unaware that his eyes have changed to burning amber in split second, he clenched his fists and moved to give the man a piece of his mind.

Everyday someone would be beaten; someone would curl up to the floor in hunger, who knows what's next! Someone might just die the next day only to be left rotting inside that cabin! He cannot stand this sickening abuse anymore!

But before he took another step forward, small hands closed around his wrist. Turning, he sees Kaoru, her face silently begging him not to do what he might be planning to do. His hands finally unclenched and willed himself to be calm in order to avoid himself from doing something that might endanger him … and Kaoru.

'_More days in this cabin and God knows,… something might just happen to her, and I cannot let that happen. I still have to think of ways to get her out of here.'_

He gave the innocent girl a reassuring nod and noticed the old man at the corner of his eye, he had forgotten about him. Suddenly, the cruel man carelessly threw the bag at their feet, and just like he had referred to them; they scampered over it like savage dogs fighting over a piece of meat.

"Stay here, I'll get us food"

He dropped from her grip and hurried to wrestle against other struggling slaves to get a couple of morsel for them to eat. Kaoru just stood there, watching everything took place as the cruel man stepped to the door. It was only Kaoru who saw the man's gaze follow a certain young boy who had just left her side. She understood the message conveyed in that glare and felt a premonition rising; unfortunately it happened to be a bad one.

She shook off the bad feeling and realized that Shinta had just come out of the crowd with their bread. As the crowd started to thin those who had already got theirs returned to their places and silently partook of the small meal offered to them. Sadly, not everyone got their portion. Those who are not strong enough to make their way through ended up with nothing and returned with gloomy faces. At her young age being a slave, she learned how hard it is to compete with the world in order to survive…

'_What'd they call it? Survival of the fittest?' _

Still, she believed that the strong cannot always survive… there will always come a time that even the strongest would be vulnerable.

"Hey, why the long face?" Shinta was suddenly beside her, looking obviously worried with her sudden change of mood.

"Look! I got you a big one!" he said cheerfully. She took the bread from his hands and mumbled thanks. Indeed, the piece sure would last her until the next afternoon. She ate her food, while Shinta excused himself for a while and walk towards the beaten man. Kaoru watched him in awe as he helped the man on his feet and offered him the extra loaf he have.

And that very instant he had her heart.

Despite the darkness of their lives he managed to cast a ray of light to those who are weak, like her. It suddenly remind her of a conversation she had with her mother once; a time when her mother told her something about young girls when they finally turn the right age to get married. They come to choose a man that they would live together with. Her mother used to picture out to her what a noble man was like: a man with principle, a man with honor – each one falling to the attributes of her father… that's why she had grown to compare her father among others. Her respect for him runs deep in her blood.

"You've been staring in space for the whole day" Her trip to memory lane was interrupted by Shinta's persistent tries to get her attention. "Do you feel sick or something?" she still hasn't answered, he just sighed and pulled her down beside him to eat when he sensed nothing amiss.

"Guess this is it for now," he said taking a bite "… come tomorrow and were out of the desert, there'll be plenty of these where it came from"

Now that he had mentioned it, the thought of tomorrow started to revive her spirit like a new dug well_.__ '__Yes,__tomorrow__things__would__be__a__lot__better__"_

OoOoO

He could clearly hear the voices coming from one of the room of their small cottage. Curiosity getting the best of him, he peeked one eye through the small crevice of the slightly opened door. The room was dimly lit so he couldn't see who is inside, though the voices are quite familiar. The conversation, though etched in the distant corners of his mind, would forever remain in his memory.

"Once he comes of age, the signs will show themselves. And no one, even he, could stop it."

A gasp

"We cannot tell whether it'll be bad or good... The beast WILL try to take over his body, and worse, it won't be reversible until he finds his –.. "

The voice was cut off

"–wait… there's someone at the door… "

Footsteps

"Shinta,"

He jerked from where he sat "Shinta, are you alright?" a soft hand touched his shoulder.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I fell asleep…" Realizing whose voice it is he straightened up.

"Kaoru? What is it? How long have you been trying to wake me? You're supposed to be sleeping by now." worry laced the adolescent's voice.

"Can I stay here with you? Her timid eyes tried to avoid his penetrating gaze only to fall on her twiddling fingers". I- I promise I won't snore, in fact; I would stay awake all night... Just let me sit here..."

Shinta must have felt the girl's anxiety so he smiled and moved aside and motioned for her to sit in a space beside him. "Why what's wrong? Please tell me."

"I don't know... it's just this strange feeling I keep on having since this day…you know, it just … happened"

"It's alright; you may sleep here all you like. Don't worry,… you're safe with me, I promise."

And with that final statement, like a spell, she felt relieved.

He pulled his only cloak over her lithe form. She wasn't joking, unless his senses were playing jokes with him too. If it's exhaustion, or confusion he couldn't tell. Just like he promised her, he stayed on guard letting her play with anything she could fiddle on. Her fingers would poke on torn holes of the cloak until it found their way to his hands.

"Your hands are bigger than mine" she fitted her palms to his.

He smiled at the presumption and played along "oh?"

"Your fingers are longer than mine, look," after playing with his hands she sighed, a sweet sound to his ears. And she rested her head on his shoulders and yawned.

"Eh?..." she reaches out to touch the bangs covering his face. From the light of the candle she found a great discovery.

"why does your hair look like fire?" she asked sounding a bit sleepy.

"you think so?" of course, this was the first time she got this close to him, and they have been in the dark for too long, she could have at least found out about it sooner.

"I can't touch fire, it would burn my hands… but your hair made it possible for me to play with it without my fingers getting burned…"

"I like your hair…"

"And I love your eyes…" she could have heard him say. But upon feeling her limp weight settle on his shoulder, he realized she had fallen asleep.

Her even breathing made him want sleep too, but the he still has to make sure this anxiety is just a feeling, nothing more.

OoOoO

Later that night, when most of them have resigned for the evening, Shinta felt the caravan come to a stop. But most importantly, he heard voices. He assumed it was the slave traders.

He could hear couple of footsteps, then another until he couldn't tell how many of them are outside; he wasn't sure what was happening outside.

"..Make sure the ropes are tight, there are wild boars in this part of the land and we wouldn't want them to scare the horses away"

There are faint conversations and a couple of puns. They seemed to be joking around so he listened until the sounds faded into the night. Only then did he realize that the silence was accompanied by a chorus of crickets…and then he knew they are already out of the desert.

'_Ah,__they__must__have__been__going__to__get__supplies__for__the__next__morning__'__,_ he thought. It's the only possible reason for them to leave their posts at this late hour.

Another silence covered the night like a thick blanket, even the crickets seem to hum quieter now. He kept still and let it lull him to sleep. But considering that there's no man outside the caravan and from what he had overheard, the place where they have stopped might be notorious. So he moved Kaoru from where she comfortably snuggled on his shoulder, stood up and hit himself to fully wake himself from nearly dozing off. He stood for a good couple of minutes when he heard a faint rustle.

The walls of the cabin made it even harder for him to recognize the distance and direction the sound is coming from. Tiptoeing, he went closer to the door. He looked back at the sleeping Kaoru and almost tripped over a fellow slave. The motion stirred him awake and Shinta hushed for him to keep quiet. There was no light in the room except for the short candle which should eventually run out after a few minutes from now.

When the fellow slave seemed to understand the situation, he followed Shinta and they crept forward quietly to avoid any more disturbance to others sleeping. Closing his lavender eyes in the yellow light of the room, he leaned at the door and held his breath to listen to any more sounds that he might hear. But he can't hear anything now.

Just then he felt his head collide with the hard wood in a loud bang before he realized the door was struck from the outside. The pain didn't register immediately to him, only that the others started getting up from their spot, annoyance in some and worry clearly shown in their faces from being roused by the startling sound. And on the other hand the other slave had trouble calming them down.

"What the hell was going on?" someone asked. They all bombarded him with questions, but before he could even answer, a sound was once again heard from the door. This time, it looked like someone's messing with the locked bolt of the cabin door. At first, Shinta thought that it was the slave traders but although they might be cruel enough with their treatment towards them, they shouldn't be forcing the door since they have the keys.

As sounds of metal chafing continued, women started to huddle in a corner and stifled their gasps, others prayed for their safety while all the men remained alert.

They all knew they were attacked.

Kaoru, as afraid as she is, remained on their spot and shot a look at Shinta. Across the room, their eyes met. It was though he had thrown a line straight into her waiting hands and over its taut span, strength flowed into her, warm and sustaining. When she finally looked away she realized that everyone in the room was staring at the door. Shinta and some of their fellow slave pushed against the door as it became a shaking mess; it's as if the hinges of the door started to become loose.

He'd heard attacks like this on stories from the folks of the village he came from; attacks like this one are only done by no other but bandits. And right now he's experiencing it firsthand. Bandits are mostly after gold or expensive goods. This is a slave trader's caravan so that could only mean they are after slaves.

He could have sworn he heard a sharp ring of a sword and then a grunt. He thought it came from outside, from all the exertions of whoever was trying to open the door. But his eyes flew wide when he saw his fellow slave nailed to the door by a sword sticking right through his gut, stabbed from the outside. When they saw this, others screamed in terror.

Shinta, even himself, backed away from the door and ran to Kaoru's side. As if to make the matters worse, the candle chose the unfortunate timing to run out. But despite the dark, they managed to get to the other. His larger one clasped her small hands as he murmured words calm to her.

Finally, the door burst open revealing several armored men. As if on cue, voices approached from a distance, then it grew to loud shouting – The guards have returned to the cabin attacked.

Then it began there, slaves and slave traders alike, those who have enough courage and energy left fought for their lives. But it was never enough to outnumber the intruders.

Several bandits started to drag out women and hurl them all outside on the humid ground to do God knows what. Everyone was busy defending their own lives to even pay attention to their cries as they are ripped out of their kimonos and raped. A pair of blue eyes stood watching the scene, horror stuck as it reminded her of a familiar scene.

_This is it child,… the sweet fulfillment of your curse._

Screams, blood, laughter, a pleading voice, It was all too much for her to bear. She was once again lost in that moment in time, reliving the horrid moments of her lost innocence. Shinta, noticing the sudden rigidness of her usually pliant body tried to shake her awake, but he got no response from the girl.

Dead bodies of slaves filled the floor of the cabin, only the two of them remained. As some of the bandits neared their spot, one of the caravan guards charged behind him, the bandit turned in time and slashed his assailant's torso open. The body fell forward; drenching the floor with fresh blood. His sword, which he never had the chance to defend his life with, clattered on the floor in front of Shinta.

He stared at it; the light of the moon cast the sword a gleam that seemed to wink at him. It was meant to be there, it's as if Kami-sama had offered him a great chance: A chance to kill or be killed. An escape to both slavery and death.

"So…It's just you and me, eh kid?"

Mustering up all of his courage, he picked up the bloody sword, and even though his hands are shaking hands he succeeded to grasp it by its hilt.

He used to chop woods back home, the calluses of his hands is a strong proof of that. Hard work is the asset of their village and child labor is a pride. The memory was fleeting, but now it seemed to him that the routine had been a convenience as he felt the sword fit perfectly in his young hands, serving its valuable purpose at the crucial situation.

His utmost goal now is to protect the person who is most important for him. Adrenaline overcame senses as he stood between her and the approaching opponent.

Kaoru, finally realizing the severity of the situation came closer behind him, hiding herself from the enemy's view.

"Why don't you just move aside and make this easy for both of us? That way I won't have to make you suffer before I kill you"

"Shinta!"

"Lookie here, it seems like the little cat is very much willing to agree with me"

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" he bellowed

This time, it was the bandit's turn to be mad. "I see… so you want to settle it your way,… heh, don't say I did not warn you"

"Please don't do this… he will kill you…please don't Shinta, ple-" she pleaded

"Stay back!" he commanded harshly, he was scared, she could feel it, but his tone mirrored no doubt.

Either way they will be killed so he just has to face it. Besides, it's much better to die trying than having not tried at all and just let them be killed. 'Better save one than no one' an old saying had said. Die for something than live for nothing...

"Please!" she insisted, silently begging the Gods to spare the only person remaining in her life.

"Kaoru!" his voice was laced with venom, he was obviously irritated of her ramblings.

He felt her pull away, but he believed it's for the better. 'I'm sorry; I have to do this for you'

"Do as I say… you have to run once I told you to..."

She had no choice. He was just trying to save both of their lives here. Cooperation was the only choice left.

The thick and heavy smell of blood brought his senses to overdrive, its odor giving his body a different kind of confidence even as he stood against a nine foot man.

In his mind's eye, he could only see the opponent, ready to pounce in any second like a predator would at its prey. The differences in both height and skill are critical so he had to make use of his speed to his advantage.

"NOW"

The bandit charged, the hum of blood in his veins told him the enemy had moved slower than he would expect, and with the discovery, he aimed the blade level below his opponent's midriff.

Kaoru ran, squaring the corner of the room to the outside. The brightness of the full moon was enough to light the night for a child's vision, and her bare foot rejoiced on contact with the warm ground.

No more sand, no more hunger to endure…

No more pain, no more slavery… no more

_Run little child, they are coming for you.._

He almost forgot that the man wore chain mail under his clothes, but the force of his strike was enough to pierce through, though not that deep. But before the man recovered from the temporary damage Shinta turned to follow Kaoru outside. But what he rooted his feet on the ground. One of the bandits cornered her with a sword raised above his head. Her eyes was bathed with fear and trauma, her tears staining her dust covered cheeks, making wet muddy trails on her face in the moonlight. She was too paralyzed she couldn't even scream.

The sight of her terrified blue eyes filled scarred his being and awakened something within him. He could feel the hairs of his nape stood up, he could hear the pounding of her heart, her breathing and he felt the temperature rise to a dangerous level. Reason flew out of his mind but he knew one thing for certain: he must destroy the cause of this fear in her.

'_Is this how my existence would end?' _

"_Live__for__us__"_ her mother had said. More tears fell as memories of Shinta's kindness flashed in her mind.

'_Why__does__everyone__end__up__sacrificing__themselves__for__my__sake?__Why__do__they__always__get__into__trouble__because__of__me?_' All this pain, all this guilt she be blamed on herself for all of this. She was bad omen for her village, and death for her family.

This is the dragon's mark. This is her curse.

_The will to live is much stronger _

'_Live for me Shinta…'_

Finally, she allowed both her tears and the darkness to blur her sight.

_I would die protecting you_

"Shinta?" 'Or was it he?'

She could have sworn she heard his voice in her head. Opening her eyes the only image that registered to her was a faint silhouette of a boy holding out a sword, but his eyes, his eyes were not of a human. Its own light could put the light of the moon to shame as it shone like twin sun, ready to consume anyone who looked at them in its flame, and then she was trapped.

"Close your eyes little one."

The voice was soothing, somewhat hypnotizing that her body obeyed the unfamiliar voice.

When she opened her eyes, she was on the ground beside a lifeless body; it was a good thing the darkness was enough to conceal what has to be hidden. She didn't notice Shinta standing beside her until he spoke.

"Come" Shinta extended his bloody hand to her. In a trance, she obeyed numbly and caught his hand, it felt different. But it doesn't matter anymore.

Then they were running as fast as their feet could carry them, the sound of ragged breathing and rustle of bare feet on dried grass were the only sounds that could be heard that night. But their young bodies had its limitations and found its need to rest.

They must have run a good distance away and they ended up near a swamp, huffing to catch their breath. After a few minutes, no one spoke, no one moved, they just sat there motionless. The trauma was too fresh for both of them to even bring up.

Kaoru's tears fell anew, this time no holding it back; she could no longer fool herself. Not after everything that had happened, after everything they had gone through.

Her voice trembled, at first became the shaking voice of a child but then it broke into a wail; that devastated sound made her feel vulnerable than anything else in this world on that humid evening.

Suddenly, she felt Shinta's hand finding her own, and when she finally looked directly at his face, she was even devastated.

Shinta, a boy merely in his adolescence, was also crying in silence. Kaoru opened her arms for him, feeling that they both needed it, and he sank onto the embrace – An embrace that soothes the hearts of those who are frightened.

They cried, for lives of men and women, slaves or not, no one deserved such fate. For death, which almost came to them, but most importantly, they cried for themselves. And no, their tears were not only those of despair. After all, they are finally free... Free from captivity and oppression, free from death.

Their cuddled bodies fell on warm earth, dried grass served as cushion for their tired limbs. They lay like that as they cried themselves to sleep and their sniffling subsided. Two lone bodies rest bathed in blood under the witnessing glow of the moonlight. It was the only one that beheld it all.

* * *

><p>I wonder how it felt like to sleep in that state.<p>

Things just got better for those two…. But, for how long? Hahaha.. I'm so evil.: D Now I'm giving you ideas… don't worry! I won't spoil anything.

Anyways, I will not make promises from now on. But I assure you the next chapter wouldn't take this long next time….just hang on guys. I have to keep things on a turtle's pace unless you wanted a _crapter_ (crappy chapter) I give my hugs to **pinaydilag,****,****Kenshin13,****Sweet****Roisin****Dubh,****Reignashii,****,****acc2787,** and **nma5** for the reviews. And to all readers, I thank you too, YOU GUYS ARE MY LIFELINE. 'Til next time!

**Please Review!**


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